Battery Plate Stacking Conveyor With Indexed Stop Mechanisms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery plate stacking apparatuses have limited operating speeds, making them a bottleneck in battery production, and attempts to increase speed have been unsuccessful without increasing complexity and cost, such as using two machines in series.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a delivery conveyor and stop mechanisms that intercept and redirect battery plates to form stacks, using multiple stop positions and stacking mechanisms to manage plate movement and alignment, allowing for higher output without excessive complexity or cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a Ferris wheel-type arrangement with carriers is used to transport plates, then plate handling is automated, but the operating speed is limited to less than 130 plates per minute
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery conveyor is divided into multiple indexed stop positions with individual stop mechanisms, allowing plates to be intercepted and stacked at different locations along the conveyor path. This segmentation enables parallel processing and increases throughput without requiring a complete system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The stop mechanisms are moveable between a blocking position (intercepting the delivery path) and a retracted position (allowing plates to pass through). This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt its operation mode continuously, enabling both accumulation and through-transport functions within a single conveyor system.
2Productivity
If existing battery stacking apparatus are modified to increase operating speed, then productivity may improve, but the complexity and cost of the apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery conveyor serves multiple functions: it transports plates continuously, provides indexed stop positions for accumulation, and allows plates to pass through when stop mechanisms are retracted. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate accumulation and transport systems, reducing overall complexity while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The stop mechanisms operate periodically, moving between blocking and retracted positions at indexed intervals along the conveyor. This periodic action creates a rhythm of plate interception and release that increases stacking speed while maintaining simple, predictable system operation.
3Productivity
If two known battery stacking machines are operated in series to increase output, then productivity increases, but the complexity and cost of the apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple stacking functions are merged into a single delivery conveyor system with multiple stop positions. Instead of using two separate machines in series, the invention combines accumulation and transport capabilities in one integrated system, reducing complexity and space requirements while maintaining high output.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds the dimension of multiple stop positions along the conveyor path, transforming a single-function linear transport into a multi-functional accumulation and distribution system. This spatial arrangement allows plates to be diverted to different stacking locations without requiring sequential processing through multiple machines.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an apparatus for stacking battery plates comprising a delivery conveyor for supplying battery plates sequentially along a delivery path. The delivery conveyor includes a plurality of spaced apart plate carriers each configured to support at least one battery plate in use, the plate carriers defining a series of gaps between adjacent plate carriers, wherein each gap is larger than the battery plate. The apparatus further includes a stop mechanism, configured to selectively intercept the delivery path at a plurality of indexed stop positions without impeding the delivery conveyor; wherein when the stop mechanism intercepts the delivery path at a selected one of the stop positions in use, it interrupts the movement of the battery plates on the delivery conveyor causing the battery plate(s) to move off the respective plate carrier and pass through the subsequent gap of the conveyor. The apparatus also includes a plate stacking mechanism for receiving battery plates as they are moved off the delivery conveyor by the stop mechanism.